Spotlight on Sports Hall of Fame Lyle Carter
What an outstanding lineup for the upcoming Colchester County Sports Hall of Fame induction night.
Taking place Friday night, Nov. 1 at the Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro, athletes Denise (Caughey) Sondjo, Justin Palardy and Dennis Peterson will be enshrined, as well as the 2002 Nova Scotia senior baseball champion Truro Bearcats.
Sondjo, who was Caughey back in the day, is recalled playing for such early hockey coaches as Bill Rutherford and
Tim Martin. Later, as a Grade 11 student, she became the first female to play for the CEC Cougars boys hockey team, coached by Jeff Mackinnon and Scott Maclean.
Besides starring on defence in hockey, Denise excelled in track and field, and as a teenager, she began officiating hockey.
The accomplishments and incredible feats that followed this likable and personable athlete would be storybook. She developed as an official and got to officiate in a World Hockey Championship in North Korea.
“The North Koreans seemed to love and respect us more than the players, Denise, 36, said. “The fans asked us for our autographs and they even wanted my whistle. I had an North Korean fan show up and see me off when I was leaving the country.”
Another huge experience for Denise was officiating the bronze-medal game during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
“I got to travel the world doing what I loved,” Denise said. “I’ve met some wonderful people and I have been supported by my family, friends and community.”
An experience as a public address announcer in Quebec City also stands out. It was the International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Cup and Denise supposedly had scheduled an hour sit-down with members of the Russian team to go over name pronunciations. The session actually ran three hours.
The following day Denise learned something she still remembers as being very exciting.
“I had spent time with a legend,” said Denise. “In English, one of the men I had talked to the day before, said, ‘I enjoyed going over the material with you, here is my card.’ It was the great Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. I was really excited and later we had pictures taken together.”
Denise and her husband, Jeanmichel Sondjo, live in Quebec City.
Denise is director of sales for Gravel Agency, which sells Remington firearms, Crossman air guns, crossbows, knives and hunting accessories.
Denise advised that she expects to have the support of 17 family members and friends at the Truro induction, several from out of province.
“I’m really looking forward to this big night in Truro. Being recognized by my own home town, I’m honoured. I’ll always be a Nova Scotian at heart, my career all started in Truro. Sharing this night with my relatives and friends from back home and some coming from Quebec, it’s going to be really great. I’m looking forward to seeing Barry Clark and his wife and a lot of other people who were really good to me.”
Tickets for the big sports night can be purchased at the Marigold Cultural Centre box office at 605 Prince St. For further information call Sara Mackenna of the Truro Sport Heritage Society at 902-957-0084.
It was good to talk with Harold Barkhouse early this week. The former educator umpired ball for 30 years, he officiated hockey for 30 years and he spent 20 years as a statistician with the junior A Truro Bearcats.
A familiar face around local sports for many years, it’s nice to see Barkhouse have a grandson carrying the torch these days.
Jared Mcisaac, drafted 36th overall by Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 NHL draft, has starred with Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three seasons. Following surgery to his right shoulder, Mcisaac has been in Detroit for several weeks undergoing therapy.
“Jared’s recovery includes on ice skating skills with a skating instructor,” Barkhouse explained. “He works on stickhandling and different things but at this point he’s not allowed to take slapshots. Jared is within two degrees of his strength level, he is hoping that by mid-november he’ll receive clearance from the Red Wings organization to return to the Halifax Mooseheads.”
Should things go well in returning to action, the Truro native and big NHL prospect is expected to join the Canadian team for the World Junior Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic.
Lyle Carter’s sports column appears weekly in the Truro News. If you have a story idea, contact him at 902-673-2857.